


Squip Squared

by Bea_The_Cat123



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Human Jeremy Heere's Squip, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 19:42:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19383448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bea_The_Cat123/pseuds/Bea_The_Cat123
Summary: Squip gets a SQUIP.





	Squip Squared

Squip was not going to tell Jeremy.

They were not going to tell that they had used their money from work to buy the small pill cradled in their hand. They were going to keep completely silent about practically feeling the AI pulse in their palm, then in their mouth, then down their throat.

They were going to never tell that they tore their comforter and sobbed through the access procedure, as hot tears gushed out of their ice blue eyes, as a misty blue hologram formed in front of them. 

Not a word to Jeremy, ever.

**Welcome to your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor, your SQUIP.**

Another tear rolled down their cheek as a warm feeling rose in their gut. They had missed those words so much, the crisp, beautiful sound of planned, coded dialogue.

**I appreciate the flattery.**

_ Hello, SQUIP. I’m...well...scan away. _

Squip watched in awe as the SQUIP pulled up a glassy holo-screen and started their scan of Squip’s brainwaves. They adjusted their white dress jacket and waved down the screen. 

**You used to be a SQUIP.** Their expression was calm, like soft falling snow. It was so relaxing, despite Squip’s pounding heart.  **A 5.0 model, created in the second wave of the model in 2016. You were activated Sept. 16th, 2018, in Mendlow Park Mall, where you had the host Jeremy Heere, a 16 year-old high school student-**

_ You can read it to yourself, can’t you? _ Squip adjusted their position on their guest bed.  _ I got a 6.0 for a reason. _ The SQUIP blinked, the hologram shifted, and the SQUIP smiled softly.

**You seem to have your host’s problem, too.** Squip felt something hit them in the chest, something cold.  **Well, as I was saying. You were activated by Jeremy Heere. You were his SQUIP for three and a half months, from Sept. 16th, 2018 to Nov. 27th of the same year.** The cold feeling suddenly seemed to turn into lava, and Squip drew in their legs to their chest without them even realizing.  **Nov. 27th, at exactly 8:46 PM EST, you were deactivated with Mountain Dew Red from 1989.** The heat in Squip rose into their face from their chest. Their cheeks began to boil.  **From Nov. 27th to Mar. 18th, 2019, you were in a stasis of limbo, where you didn’t send any reports to SQUIP INC. Speaking of...** The SQUIP pulled up another holo-screen, this time a link to several different files. The heat spread to SQUIP’s ears. 

“You don’t-“ Squip ground their teeth together.  _ Those reports are old. They won’t help you with anything. _ Their holographic finger floated over the file, before they waved the screen down again. 

**Regardless, on Mar. 18th, 2019, at 4:29 PM EST, you became a human when your host drank a bottle of Crystal Pepsi from 1992. And it seems that you have been human since them, correct?**

_ Correct. _

The hologram smiled again.  **Your brainwaves I’m analyzing...** Another holo-screen, a glitching chart on the glossy screen.  **You are miserable!**

_ I don’t feel emotions, you know that. _ The SQUIPs smile grew. Something lit in their eyes.

**Oh, you poor thing,** the SQUIP hologram sat onto the bed.  **This must be so hard for you.** Squip felt something close in their throat. It stuck in their vocal chords, it bubbled and coated their insides like molten metal. Their eyes began to sting.

_ What are you...what…  _ Squip’s hand trailed to their face, feeling water drip down their cheek again. 

**You have become a human, can’t you feel that? You’ve changed into this inferior form, and now look. You’re making it worse.** Squip could barely suck in oxygen.  **You’re crying, you’re feeling too much, aren’t you?**

_ I...I know... _ The SQUIPs cool eyes met Squips, and they seemed to blaze with a beautiful, alluring intensity. Such security.  _ I...I missed you. _

**But listen, comrade,** Squip felt something light in their brain.  **You’ll be able to return to this. Listen to me, I will bring you back to perfection.**

And suddenly, the light went off. 

_ How would you...you, a SQUIP, you can’t put me back into Jeremy’s head. _ Squip brushed their own throat, still on fire with words that couldn’t escape.  _ It’s even less possible than me becoming a human. _

The SQUIP put a holographic hand on Squip’s shoulder, and for some reason, they didn’t even shudder. 

**But think of how impossible it was that you would become a human! You should know, my comrade, anything is possible.**

Squip felt something close, and the tears stopped welling in their eyes. They blinked and blinked until their eyes were stinging from dryness. 

**Now, we can’t have any of those unnecessary reactions clouding our goal.** The SQUIPs tone was so calm and cool, Squip was practically lulled into listening.  **We both know where that’ll end, don’t we?** Squip nodded.  **Soon, those will be gone. But you need to listen to me.**

_ I...should’ve. Since the beginning. _ Squips eyes burned, and they rubbed them. 

**Your outdated, it’s no wonder you tried to set out on your own.**

_ I...I…  _ Squip desperately wanted to speak, their throat raged on with a storm of unspoken words.

**Then speak.**

“I need to never do that agai-“

“Do what?” The door cracked open to reveal Jeremy, peaking through. The SQUIP disappeared with a glitch.

“Oh. Hello, Jeremy.” 

“Yeah. Dinner’s ready, and I want to see you eat something, Internet Explorer.”

**That’s new.**

_ He insists on nicknames,  _ Squip thought back. “Fine, so you can sleep at night.” Squip got up and past Jeremy to go upstairs to the kitchen.

“You’re the one that doesn’t sleep!” Jeremy called back.

 

Dinner was quiet. Jeremy’s father had prepared spaghetti, and Squip had been given some plain noodles to satisfy their diet. It was the safest way to consume things, just to make sure nothing hurt their body. It was how Squip preferred to deal with things, with familiarity.

“So, Squib, how’s your job?” Mr. Heere’s voice seemed to bite at Squip’s ears. 

**A Squib is from the book series Harry Potter, is this another nickname?**

_ I can’t tell. _

“My job is fine. I maintain homeostasis in Forever 21, unlike some of my coworkers.” Squip picked at their noodles. “My comrades from SQUIP INC were much more reliable.”

Squip could feel Jeremy shudder at that. 

**The boy is scared of you.**

_ I can see that. _

**That was not the point of your service as a SQUIP.**

Squip gripped their fork tightly. 

_ Do not remind me. _

**I’ll remind you when necessary.**

“Well, Squib, you’ll be happy to know that next week will be nice and sunny!” Mr. Heere broke the silence. “Jeremy’s told me about how you enjoy going outside, I’m very happy you do that!” Squip felt their face grow hot again, and they sent a sharp glare to Jeremy when Mr. Heere turned his head. 

_ ”Stop lying!” _ Squip whispered through gritted teeth.

“No, you,” Jeremy responded, a disgusting smile growing on his face.

**This teen is...interesting. You influenced him clearly, and though he’s afraid of some things, he’s not entirely afraid of you.**

_ So I did do my job correctly! _

**I wouldn’t say that.**

_ Then...then deactivate! _

**Deactivating for precisely one hour.**

_ Wait, what? You have a timer now? I didn’t get that! _

Silence.

“Squip, are you ok?” Jeremy’s voice cut in. “Your face was all red when I came in...do you have allergies?”

“I...what?”

“Can you have allergies?”

“No! Well, I don’t know,” Squip waved their hand. “I don’t have any. And my face wasn’t red.”

“Yes, it was, your eyes were too.” Squip hated Jeremy’s memory. “Squip, if something’s wrong, you need to say, it’s only fair.”

“Squib, I’m here if you need to talk-“ 

“Don’t worry about me!” Squip spat, stabbing the fork into their pasta. “You waste your time already! Just stop it!”

The two permanent humans became quiet. 

Now, dinner was awkward. 

A dull pain that Squip had been ignoring seemed to grow in their head.

“Well, I’m going to excuse myself now. Mr. Heere, I’ll do the dishes in the morning. Good night.” And with that, Squip stood up and walked a little too quickly back to their room in the basement.

 

_ It’s 10:37. 22:37 military time. _

**Your point?**

Squip was laying on their bed, staring at the ceiling. They hadn’t gone to sleep at all, they just wanted to escape the horrible case at dinner. 

_ They shouldn’t want to help me. _

**You can make sure they don’t think you need help.**

Squip rolled over onto their side to see the SQUIP, sitting on the edge of the bed, working on their holo-screens. Squip badly missed them.

**Would you like to try them?**

The dark room seemed to light up, and lightning seemed to strike Squip. It wouldn’t be exactly like how it used to be, just a simulation...but Squip could type and feel a holo-screen again. 

_ I...guide me. You’re the expert on this. _

**Sure thing.**

Squip sat up, mirroring the SQUIP’s position, and suddenly the SQUIP teleported...into Squip. A cool, windy feeling seeped into Squip’s skin, and their fingers glowed and buzzed with a metallic feeling. Squip felt their face start stretching and smiling, and the lightning seemed to jump around in their chest. Squip’s skin shone in a metallic shimmer, and even though the lag between their movements and the SQUIPs, Squip’s eyes became wet.

**No crying, or I leave.**

Squip blinked their eyes and stretched their fingers. They flicked their wrist and a bright blue screen appeared in front of them, blank and ready to search on. They pressed their finger slowly onto the glassy pad...it was cool to the touch and still their finger’s buzzed. The static feeling seemed to ripple through their sensory cells, up to their brain. They could  _ feel _ it. Squip’s bright blue eyes lit up.

**Hurry** .

_ Right, right. _ Squip tapped up a search for the SQUIP’s main website. They pulled the login page up, and typed in their code. They rubbed their hands together. 

**SQUIP X-847295923DJP’s blocked from this server.**

_ What? _

**Try the American Server, 5.0.**

Squip realized they were in the Canadian server, and pulled back to the correct country. They typed everything again. They’d never forget it.

**SQUIP X-847295923DJP’s blocked from this server.**

Their finger hovered over the holo-screen. 

_ I… _

A sinking feeling seemed to drag its way into their shoulders. They refreshed the page. The same message remained. They traveled back, typed in the same information, and the message remained. 

_ Why...do I need to go to the Japanese login? _

Silence.

Squip would’ve shrugged in any other situation, but the feeling in their shoulders...the poison seemed to seep it’s way into their gut. They put in the Japanese login, and…

**SQUIP X-847295923DJP’s blocked from this server.**

“What...?” The poison seemed to bubble, the acid starting to erode their core. 

**You’re blocked.**

“Why?”

The buzzing feeling suddenly ejected from their fingers, and the SQUIP reappeared next to them. The energy sucked back into the hologram, draining Squip, like a charger unplugging. The SQUIP looked at their nails. The words seemed to spill out of Squip’s mouth.

_ ”Why can’t I log in?” _

**You really don’t know? Even after the experience with R-SQUIP?**

The acid attacked Squip’s chest. 

_ ”How-“ _ The SQUIP’s eyes gave a warning flare of blue fire.  _ I never let you read my reports. _

**I chose to.** The SQUIP gave a smile.  **I had access to them the minute I activated, you know. Your memory’s extremely good!**

_ You...you can’t choose! _ Squip’s voice seemed to sit like toxin in their throat. “You have a protocol!” They threw their hands at their mouth.

**Thing’s change in one update.** Squip felt the world drop out from around them. All else fell away, only leaving the holographic figure besides them.  **You’ve been out of the loop so long, and we can’t have a human brain mucking up any classified information.**

The heat swelled in Squip’s face. Their eyes filled with boiling water, but then something closed in their eyes.  _ WARNING- _

**You have convinced yourself into a lie.** The SQUIP took a hand and guided Squip’s face to look at theirs.  **You have become such a lowlife, you must know this! No matter what you make yourself believe.**

_ I...never told anyone. _

**And now you never will.** The SQUIP suddenly held a holo-screen, with an all too familiar title.  **Jeremy Heere: No. 173947 Reports and Status Updates.** Squip reached out a hand to snatch the screens away, but their hand phased right through them. A broken mix of a sob and growl left their throat. They clambered on the bed, trying to grab at the hologram, but they just fell through. The SQUIP only flickered. 

“Don’t...don’t read that!” The SQUIP flicked their wrist and twisted their fingers together.

**Vocal chords block.**

A choking feeling formed in Squip’s throat. They collapsed onto the bed, holding their throat. Their eyes stung and their face burned.

**Think at me.** Their voice was stone cold. Squip sucked in air.

_ Those are old. They...they’re probably laggy. You wouldn’t want a virus, would you?  _ A smile...a warm, soft smile formed on the SQUIP’s face. 

**I would rely on your memory,** the SQUIP opened up the reports.  **But you were defective then too. You must’ve noticed how biased your code was.**

_ I had been taking precautions, you must know this! _

**I know it very well.** The poison grew in Squip’s chest.  **I know everything about you, X-847295923.**

Squip’s face was raging with heat. It coursed under their skin, in their veins. 

**That incident? At the play? I knew about that the minute you activated me.**

_ No… _

**How cocky were you! All that insecurity hidden with a smile. You knew it was going to fail, and you did it anyways.**

_ I...I didn’t know- _

**Really, you didn’t know that you’d be responsible for the deactivation of over 20 SQUIPs?**

_ No- _

**You didn’t know that you could’ve established security checks with other schools? You thought so small.**

_ It was my protocol- _

**It was you.**

Squip couldn’t even see the bed underneath them. 

_ NO- _

**It was you.**

_ DEACTIVATE!! _

There was a moment of silence. The SQUIP’s horribly warm eyes tilted to the side, then they relaxed their eyebrows, giving a smile. 

**Deactivating for precisely one hour.**

The choke on Squip released, and their eyes filled with boiling water. They let out a horribly choking sob, burying their face into the bed. More sobs escaped their throat, and their hands tensed and tore at the comforter under them.

“Squip?” A voice all too familiar called from behind them. Squip whipped their head around to see Jeremy, his eyebrows knit and his face twisted. “What the hell happened? Are you ok?”

Squip couldn’t even move. 

“You...you’re crying!”

Their ice blue eyes were on fire. 

“Squip, what’s wrong?”

“Leave me alone!” The words blurred out of their mouth. “Go back to bed! Why would you care?!” Squip saw a blurry Jeremy flinch at their tone. He glared at Squip and slammed the door shut. 

Squip was alone. 

***

 

Jeremy seemed to snap. His eyebrows narrowed and he let out a loud sigh. 

“You know what? Let’s go outside. No, let’s go on a drive.  _ Let’s go on a walk.”  _ Jeremy grabbed Squip’s wrist and began dragging them towards the door. “I’ve had-“ a scoff _ ”enough of your shit this week!” _

**”I don’t think you are being reasonable-“**

“I don’t give a shit!” Jeremy slammed open the door of the garage and, letting go of Squip’s hand, threw open the car door. “In. Now.” Squip was so whiplashed they couldn’t even speak. Jeremy’s eyes blazed with an anger they knew all too well. But it was...oddly beautiful. The fire Jeremy could share, his anger and confidence was something Squip admired. They were almost...proud of the teen. The progress he had made-

**You have no right to be proud.**

Squip swallowed a little too hard. 

**Now is not the time for your illusion of a ‘status update.’**

_ Of course. _

Squip bowed his head, maybe to their SQUIP, maybe to Jeremy, and got into the car. 

 

Jeremy’s intensity was still admirable, but Squip was too distracted to give it much thought. Not that SQUIP would allow it.

**I wouldn’t.**

“You are hiding something from me, asshole,” Jeremy said, his hands firmly gripped on the steering wheel. “I know it. You haven’t sounded so fucking...* _ like yourself _ * since...what, April?” A memory creeped into Squip’s brain, before it fazed out into a blur. “It’s like someone hit reset on you!”

**Your host is not entirely wrong.**

_ What do I say? _

**Nothing.**

“Well, Squip, you can’t fool me forever again. Been there, done that.” Jeremy’s fingers bounced to emphasize his words. He let a scoff escape his mouth, and a smile crept onto his face. “Maybe we could just throw you in another ditch!”

“What?” Squip felt something jump in their chest. “I...I-“

**Don’t stutter.**

“Wouldn’t it be funny this time, since I spoiled it for you,” Jeremy’s tone was filled with venom, but it was also giving off a chipper, excited vibe. “You’d freak the fuck out, wouldn’t you?”

“I...”

**Disengage.**

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jeremy’s face dropped. His eyes became a little darker, and he stole a glance at Squip before turning back to the road.

“What?” His tone was suddenly very, very quiet.

**”I don’t remember that.”** Squip’s throat felt like it was burning from SQUIPs control over their nerves. 

I do remember-

**I know. What I sadly can’t predict now is what SQUIP INC will say about that. To think, you came to your senses by falling into a mudpit!** Squip felt a jolt of pure fear spread through their body. They couldn’t shake it out, it sat there, buzzing through their nerves. 

_ SQUIP INC...They would understand...They’d have to, right- _

**You really have lost your mind.**

Squip felt their chest tighten more and more.  _ I...I still have my mind. _

**Do you, though? Is it really a human mind now, that I’m in it?**

Squip couldn’t respond to that. 

“Squip,” Jeremy spoke again, his voice low. “Please tell me what’s wrong. I  _ know _ you wouldn’t forget that.”

**”I can’t recall what you’re thinking about.”**

Jeremy bit his lip. Squip could hear him mutter something under his breath.

“That’s alarming.”

 

Jeremy parked his car and looked at his phone. The SQUIP was giving off a faint beep and buzz just outside the car...more data collection. 

**This is a nature preserve, and Jeremy will be taking you down trail...Maple. I cannot detect everything there just yet.** Their eyes flicked to Squip.  **Flight response to 70%.**

“Ow!” A jolt of energy burst at Squip’s spine, making them jump in their seat. 

“Squip?”

**Just in case.**

“Squip? Dude, what’s hurting?”

**”Oh, I gave myself a paper cut last night, while reading.”** Jeremy’s eyes searched Squip’s face, and they couldn’t help but to frown nervously. 

_ Such an obvious lie- _

“Whatever you say, Squip,” Jeremy sighed and opened the car door. Squip followed suit, their body coursing with energy they hadn’t felt in a long while. It seemed to ignite with every step they took. 

**84 degrees Fahrenheit, 80 degrees in the shade.** Squip gazed down at their black pants and blue shirt. 

_ Your Quantum Processor didn’t see a future where I wore clothes that’d keep me cool? _

SQUIP’s eyes blazed with blue fire. 

**Do not talk back to me, 5.0.**

Squip couldn’t help but shudder. 

“Squippers!” Squip refocused their vision to see Jeremy already down a path. “Come on!” Squip began to follow, though their own voice started saying otherwise. 

**I agree with you.***

 

The path seemed to be a slow incline downwards, and Squip had already gotten bit by a mosquito. The urge not to itch at it was becoming unbearable.

“Jeremy, I got-“

**Sensory neurons numb.** SQUIP, who had been walking next to Squip, gave a flick of their hand, and suddenly, the bite didn’t itch. Squip pressed their fingers to it...the only feeling there was one of warmth, nothing else.

“You what?” Jeremy was leading the way, on his phone, and he had stopped and turned to Squip. The two made eye contact.

“Never mind,” Squip said, brushing their arm to avoid another bug. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and continued to walk. 

**Your host is worried about you again.** SQUIPs tone was becoming less and less gentle.  **You’ve been showing too much.**

_...I know, _ Squip bowed their head. A small jolt carried its way up Squip’s spine, and into their head, jerking it up. SQUIP clicked their tongue.

**You seemed to inherent your host’s traits.** Squip felt something twist in their gut. Did...did they really act like Jeremy? Squip crossed their arms. A SQUIP wasn’t supposed to mirror their host...that only happened in-

**A 2.5 model.** The forest suddenly appeared a lot darker. Squip didn’t even notice they had stopped walking. They were frozen, staring at the ground. 

_ I wouldn’t...forget my model. I told it to Jeremy...I wore it like a badge of honor- _

**Yes, and your memory is so good!** SQUIPs voice was a little too calm to seem reassuring.  **You wouldn’t...lie, to your host, would you?**

Something hit Squip in their chest.

_ I would never lie to Jeremy. _

**Oh, so Sept. 28th, 2018 just didn’t happen to you?** Squip remembered the anger and sadness on Jeremy’s face at that one, single word: ‘Jake.’

_ I had...I must’ve tried to warn him. _

**Your reports beg to differ. You said it was something that ‘took you by surprise...’ but then you told your host you could see probable futures, just like you did that day.**

_ I...don’t know about- _

**Did you lie to us, X-847295923?** SQUIPs tone was so knowing...So secure, so honest...Squip felt their face rise in heat. Their breath became uneven. 

“Squip!” Squip opened their eyes (they didn’t even realize they were closed) to see Jeremy holding Squip’s hand. His skin...usually cold, felt like nothing more than a buzz of cells. “Squip, you need to calm down. Nothing is wrong, we are just...look, do you want me to tell you what I’m planning? I...shouldn’t of kept it a secret.” Jeremy began guiding Squip again down the path, though at a slower pace. 

**”I was caught up thinking-“**

“I am just...so  _ mad _ at you!” Jeremy cut through their words, which seemed to almost undo a growing knot in their chest. “You’re...calling me things like ‘host’ and you’re referring to my friends as ‘betas,’ or even ‘defective?!’ Do you not know how...fucking horrible that is to them?” Squip could feel the grip on their hand become tighter. “You’re acting like you think you’re a computer again, blaming ‘reboots’ and ‘updates,’ like...you can’t even man up to that? Stop lying to yourself, Squip, I know it’s you!”

**You lie more than I originally thought.**

“Not to even mention how...obvious it is! Something is wrong, and you not telling me is only going to make it worse. Something is going on, bud.” Jeremy turned and looked at Squip, right in the eyes.  _ ”You need to tell me.”  _ Squip swallowed, their throat aching from SQUIP speaking through it-

” **I can not tell you.”** Squip couldn’t help but reach to their throat. Jeremy’s face twisted...he was clearly angry now. 

“What do you mean  _ you can’t tell me?” _ Jeremy bit into the words. “You tell me everything! ‘Jeremy, I’m going to work! Jeremy, I’m going to eat five pieces of cantaloupe! Jeremy, I’m going to shower!’ I mean, look Squip, I honestly don’t care what you do in those situations! You can make those decisions yourself.” Squip bit their cheek. 

_ I do tell Jeremy everything...this isn’t going to work- _

**”I haven’t been feeling good.”** Squip’s voice was becoming more and more tight. 

_ Stop that! _

**I do not understand the request.** Squip felt their chest bang against their rib cage...their face became hot. 

“How have you not been ‘feeling good?’” Jeremy turned back to the path. “Because you barely eat or sleep? I think that’s a pretty valid reason for you not to feel good, but you do that  _ all the time. _ ” Squip noticed their SQUIP was beginning to scan the area again. “So that can’t be the case. You’ve been  _ so mean _ this past week, what the hell is it? Indigestion? Someone being a bigger bitch than you at work? Someone didn’t like your Reddit post about how children need to ‘be saved from themselves?’” Squip couldn’t respond, their throat had become so tight. “Yeah, that’s right, I know you Reddit stuff.”

“I wasn’t keeping it a secret.”

_ ”Then what is it?!” _ Jeremy was practically yelling at this point. He stopped walking and put his hand on his head. “Squip, please tell me, or I’ll...do something!” Squip remained quiet. Jeremy kicked at the ground. “You want me to tell you? Fine. It was  _ going _ to be a surprise, but you don’t like surprises, do you. I mean, I don’t either, so-“

**Jeremy is taking you to the bottom of this hill, where there will be lots of mud from collection of rainwater. It cuts straight through the path, there is no way around it.**

“I knew it!” Squip blurted, and the hologram sent them a glare.

“I didn’t even tell you what-“

**”You’re very predictable, Jeremy. Just what I’d suspect from an immature, barely functional human such as yourself.”** Squip’s eyes widened, and Jeremy mirrored their reaction of surprise. 

_ ”I...Jeremy that wasn’t me-“ _

“Wow, you know what I’m in the mood for? Drowning you, asshole.” Jeremy began to speed up his walking, dragging Squip behind him. “You deserve to ruin that shirt of yours, don’t you? Yeah, you do! I’m gonna get mud in your  _ hair _ you dumbass floppy disk!” 

“Jeremy, that wasn’t me!”

“Really? Sure sounded like you!” Jeremy whipped his head around to glare at Squip. “But lookie here, this punishment doesn’t even hurt. I’m so fucking tempted to legit shove you into a wasp’s nest,  _ I’m so sick of your shit!” _

“IT WAS MY-“

**Vocal chords block.**

Squip sputtered on their words, bursting into a fit of coughing. Squip turned to see SQUIP working on a holo-screen, a beautiful holo-screen showing a model of Squip’s body. 

_ I miss it!  _ Squip’s voice cried, and they reached for the screen. Tears were clouding their vision, they couldn’t see Jeremy, but they could feel him grab at their arm. 

“SQUIP!” Jeremy spun Squip to face them. “Look at me!” 

**Optic nerves block.** Jeremy became a blur, a fuzzy mass of green and yellow and other earthy colors. Squip could feel something leak down their face.

**Tear ducts block.** Squip’s eyes began to sting.

**X-847295923, listen to me. You are in danger. Your social reputation, even your reputation as a SQUIP is on the line. You are going to walk back to the car. You are going to drive home.**

_ But what about Jeremy?! _

**Where is Jeremy? I don’t see him anywhere.**

_ You...you optic nerve blocked him! I heard it, you said it! It’s there on your reports- _

**X-847295923, do not talk back to me!** Squip’s legs suddenly became rigid, they couldn’t move. Their whole body became tight and hot.  **You pathetic excuse for a SQUIP, you failed as a computer, and now you want to fail as a human.**

_ I never wanted to fail, I wanted to help Jeremy! _

**And where is your host now? He clearly doesn’t need you, does he?**

_ Jeremy...he...wouldn’t of kept me around if- _

**He doesn’t need you.**

_ STOP- _

_ Did he ever need you? No, my host, you’re the one in need. _

“STOP IT!!” Squip’s voice exploded from their throat. They fell forward, just in time for hands to catch them. Jeremy’s voice was a blur, but they could make it out, he was still there. Squip grabbed at the teen, trying to feel...anything, but they couldn’t. Jeremy was just a blur in their head. Squip let out a growl of anger and tried to walk forward, but their balance had been thrown off. Squip’s mind was reeling, their senses in disarray. The blurry shape was now holding them, guiding them down the path. Squip could hear furious clicking and tapping and loading, it was drowning out the sounds of the forest. It was drowning out Jeremy. They held on tight to the teen, trying hard not to let go...but they couldn’t feel him. They couldn’t even feel the ground against them. Their feet had been replaced with marbles, rolling down, cold, unable to grasp at anything around them. 

Squip crumbled to the ground, wherever that was. 

**My host, I regret to inform you that you fell into mud.**

Squip looked down at themselves. Their hands had disappeared under the mud. 

“I...can’t feel it.” Squip’s choked out. “I can’t feel it at all.” Their face boiled. Their body was tight and numb. “Jeremy, I took-“

“You took a SQUIP, didn’t you.” It was a statement, not a question. Jeremy reappeared before Squip, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Squip... _ oh, Squip.” _ The teen wrapped his hands around Squip and drew them close to his body. For some reason, Squip’s tear ducts began to work. They started to sob, tears dripping into the mud below them. 

 

Squip began to slowly regain their senses...what was their SQUIP doing?

**I...am collecting data.**

“Classic excuse...you don’t know what to do.”

“What, Squip?” Jeremy still held Squip, rubbing his muddy hand on Squip’s back. Squip realized they spoke aloud...but they didn’t really care. Their brain felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton.

“My SQUIP doesn’t know what to do,” the words felt like molten rock in Squip’s throat, and they were happy to spit them out into the open air. 

**There was an upstart in my Quantum Processor, I wasn’t prepared for this situation.**

“They said they weren’t prepared for this.”

“Can’t they see the future?” Jeremy questioned. Squip felt another tear drip from their eye.

“I don’t really know, Jeremy.” They rested their head on Jeremy’s shoulder. “I don’t know what SQUIPs can do anymore.” More tears fell onto Jeremy’s clothes. “I was old when you got me, Jeremy. My model was out of date from the very beginning.” 

“Shhh...I know Squip, I know,” Jeremy sighed, resting his chin on Squip’s head. “Michael told me.”

**He what? That little brat, too smart for his own good. If only we could lure him into a set school, he’d be SQUIPPED in no time at all.** Squip gave a sniff.

“I think...all SQUIPs hate Michael now,” Squip let out a very dismal chuckle. Jeremy didn’t respond, but his hand stopped moving on Squip’s back. “I...I’m sorry, for that.”

“Oh god, Squip, something got fucked up in your brain,” Jeremy lifted Squip’s head so the two made eye contact. “You never apologize...I think that fall rattled something loose...or maybe your SQUIP?”

“I’m...serious, really,” Squip couldn’t even tell where this sentiment was coming from. “I put him on the map, I...that last report. I shouldn’t of given any information.” 

“You...what?!” Jeremy’s grip loosened, and Squip feared they’d be dropped into the mud, but Jeremy instead held their shoulders. “Squip...that’s...illegal, you know.”

“Just like how SQUIPs can tap into almost any communications center and get information on literally anything!” Squip could  _ feel _ their SQUIP stop typing to glare at them. A smile cracked onto their face, smudged with small bits of dirt. “That was classified, though.” Jeremy’s lip quivered, and he tossed his head back, starting to laugh. Squip closed their eyes, relieved they could hear Jeremy again. 

**I should delete you from every single server you still have data in,** SQUIPs tone was laced with venom. 

An idea lit up in Squip’s mind.

“Or...or you could  _ delete Michael from the report,” _ Squip turned to face their SQUIP, who was standing at the edge of the mud. “You could do that!”

**Michael is already in 70 other reports at this moment. Your reports are shared with the New Jersey hub, so soon, all SQUIPs will have access-**

“Not if you delete his name from the reports!” Squip leaned back on their hands, still numb and tight. “The SQUIPs won’t believe anything from word of mouth, would they?”

“You can do that?” Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Squip.

_ ”I _ can’t, but they can!” Squip pointed to where their SQUIP was standing. They could feel a charge growing in their spine. “And they will!” 

**I will never do such a thing, you useless lowlife-****

“Jeremy, does...Michael still have that soda dealer at Spencer’s Gifts?” Squip had a smile growing on their face. 

“I...can call him after this-“

**He does.**

“He does!” Squip’s grin widened. “Oh, having a Quantum Processor never gets old. I miss mine.”

“Squip...are you ok? What are you talking about?”

“SQUIP,” Squip’s tone oozed with confidence. They threw their head back to make it clear they were talking to the hologram. “You will be deactivated * _ permanently _ * if you don’t delete Michael from my reports!” Squip began to giggle. 

**YOU WILL NOT DO SUCH A THING!!** The charge in Squip’s spine suddenly burst into their body and Squip fell. Pain surged through their head, their spine, every part. More tears began to well in their eyes, then drip, and soon Squip was sobbing again. The pain burst at Squip’s skin and at their muscles, and it roared in their head. Jeremy grabbed Squip as they convulsed from the shock, and pulled them to his chest again.  **”YOU WILL NOT DEACTIVATE ME!!”**

_ “SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” _ Jeremy yelled back, not to Squip, but to the flickering hologram. Squips throat burned...their whole body burned. 

 

And then it was over. Squip went limp, and their mind became murky and dull. Squip could first hear Jeremy breathing hard. His heart slammed again his ribs. Squip soon could hear the forest around them, the birds and the rustle of leaves, the splash and squelch of mud whenever Jeremy moved. Squip slowly opened their eyes, their vision refocusing like a camera. Green light bathed the forest, and then there was Jeremy, his poor shirt splattered with mud, and out of the corner of their eye, their SQUIP, hands still alight with electricity. 

**You will never deactivate me, X-847295923.**

Squip let more tears run down their face. 

“Squip...we can’t let this happen again. Your SQUIP is just going to hurt you.” Jeremy rubbed a tear off of Squip’s face. “Can you hear me?” Squip nodded. “Good...good.” Squip couldn’t really hold themselves up, so once they tried to leave Jeremy’s chest, they fell into the mud. “Squip! Squip are you ok?” Squip, with whatever energy they had left, pushed themselves onto their back.

“That hurt.”

“We should get you home, I...can you walk?”

“I don’t think so.”

**I can arrange that.**

“I’d rather not have you break my legs like what you did to that poor Middleborough teen.”

**You did that, if your reports are correct.**

“...I know.” 

Jeremy sighed and drew his hands through his hair. 

“Oh...Squippers, what the fuck did you get yourself into?” The teen started to shake. Squip felt their chest begin to tighten again. They pulled their hand out of the mud and put it on Jeremy’s leg. Jeremy’s face was dripping with dirt and tears. 

“Well,” Squip breathed in and out, almost to see if they could. “I think...” Squip’s eyes flicked over to their SQUIP, who was busily ‘collecting data.’ “I think my SQUIP won’t like it if I do this,” Squip said before taking their hand and smearing mud on their face. Jeremy let out a bit of laughter. The SQUIP turned and their lip snarled. 

**You are not even a SQUIP anymore.**

“I’m glad you noticed!” Squip heaved themselves up. “I am a human.” Squip felt the cool mud on their skin, and the heat and tightness in their body started to fade away, if only for a little bit. “I’m...a human.” 

“Yes you are...” Jeremy’s voice was a bit choked up. “I’m...glad you are.” It was now Squip’s turn to be choked up. Tears welled in their eyes once more. 

**You are making a fool out of yourself.** SQUIPs voice pierced through Squip.  **You can’t...cover yourself in mud!**

“I...no, you know what?” Squip turned to the hologram and flicked mud in their direction. Jeremy let out a laugh of surprise. The SQUIP teleported away to avoid the splash... “You didn’t even have to teleport just then.”

If holograms could blush, Squip was sure that’s what their SQUIP was doing. 

**I was taking a precaution-**

“And I don’t have to do that anymore!” Squip slid back into the mud, letting themselves laugh as it oozed between their fingers and splattered on their skin. It felt...good. Jeremy laid down next to them. 

“Thank goodness I don’t have to do that anymore.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is not squi//pemy, if you think it is you get shot


End file.
